His decision to quit has sparked a flood of conspiracy theories – especially after lightning struck the Vatican just hours after the announcement

Benedict XVI’s papacy has been dogged by controversies, including paedophile scandals and claims of money-laundering links to the Mafia.

So perhaps it is no surprise that his decision to quit has sparked a flood of conspiracy theories – especially after lightning struck St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican just hours after the announcement.

1 A plot was hatched to force the Pope to stand down under threat of “shocking” new revelations from the money-laundering scandal. A full report, compiled by three cardinals, has never been revealed.

2 He has Parkinson’s disease like predecessor Pope John Paul II. The Vatican has denied the claim.

3 A new paedophile scandal is about to erupt. According to one blog, a document will emerge linking the Pope to a priest accused of molesting boys. The cleric was given therapy in 1980 and allowed to resume pastoral duties, only to commit further abuses and be ­prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who then headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, allegedly approved the priest’s transfer for therapy.

4 The decision on the Pope’s move to the nunnery was supposedly made only after his resignation on Monday. However, the building was vacated in November and a full ­refurbishment began, sparking claims the Vatican knew more about his departure than it admits.

5 In 2009, the Pope visited the tomb of Celestine V, a former pontiff who resigned in 1296, only to be locked up by his successor and die behind bars. This, apparently, was a clue to Benedict’s own intentions.